The Sleeve...

Stagezz

My sister has decided againest the lapband and is now focussing on the sleeve.

I have googled it and checked it out.

Has anyone out there had any complications? Or advice i can tell her about!

Thanks!

rgcaponi

I was sleeved 4 weeks ago. In making my decision to undergo WLS, I looked at surgeries based on effectiveness, complication, and feedback. It falls between RNY and Lap-band in terms of percentage of weight loss. No foreign objects in the body, no re-routing of intestines, and no deficiencies. Finally, I read the message boards on obesityhelp.com for VSG to get some feel for those who underwent the surgery.

I suggest attending a number of seminars by various doctors, and reading as many WLS forums as possible. The greatest part of sleeve gastrectomy surgery is the absence of dumping syndrome, no need to fill a band with saline (ongoing pain in the *kitten*), and you can still eat normal meals, just restricted amounts. There is no deficiency due to malabsorption, and the hormone grehlin, which is a "hunger" hormone, is effectively removed with the removal of the elastic part of the stomach.

Again, I encourage your sister (and you it seems), to check out forums based on the various weight loss surgery types to find what makes sense and is comfortable.

The surgery, in my opinion, is the smallest part of the journey. It marks the time in your life where without changing your eating, the potential exists to continue in obesity. It restricts the amount of food, but not the quality. A decision must be made to follow a lifelong eating plan that works for oneself. Through my new eating, aided by the restriction afforded by the sleeve, I have lost close to 30 pounds in just 6 weeks (10 before surgery, 20 after it). It is the least complicated surgery of them all.